Atomic bomb

noun, slang

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    A nuclear weapon that obtains its destructive energy from nuclear fission. countable

    "In their present form these bombs are now in production and even more powerful forms are in development. It is an atomic bomb. It is a harnessing of the basic power of the universe. The force from which the sun draws its power has been loosed against those who brought war to the Far East."

  2. 2
    a nuclear weapon in which enormous energy is released by nuclear fission (splitting the nuclei of a heavy element like uranium 235 or plutonium 239) wordnet
  3. 3
    The possession of one or more atomic bombs; the ability to launch a nuclear attack. colloquial, uncountable

    "Nine different countries have the atomic bomb as of 2022."

Etymology

Coined by British science fiction author H. G. Wells in his 1914 novel The World Set Free.

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